I have a baseball cap from a Dobermann Rescue group I just loved. They have a new style and don’t make the old design anymore. So when I found that part of the bill had worked out nicely as a chew toy for my newly adopted Dobie Pippin way back when, I was disappointed. That was years ago, and I lost my Dobie Pippin in February of this year. I still have the cap, and it’s taken on a different meaning to me now. It’s a work of art.
Frankly, so are other chewed-on objects I still have around. Pippin became interested in wood in her senior years, and spent a lot of time trying to find steak knives so she could eat the wooden end off. This is the last one I had that still had a wood encased handle. She literally took the wood off all the others so there was nothing left but bald metal. She had a liking for mischief.
Once she swiped the half-and-half pop-top off the counter. I found her later with it stuck in between her front teeth. I can’t look at a pop-top now without thinking of Pippin. She made me laugh.
Another of my Dobies, Ginger, who passed on in 2009 had a go at the seat belt in the back seat of my truck during one of our car rides. It was a day when the eyes in the back of my head were obviously not working. The seat belts are still intact, just a little frayed, and are now a fond memory of a beautiful dog who spent the last 3 years of her life with me.
It’s impossible for me to ever think about frogs’ legs without remembering the night my French Dobermann, Bouchard, nonchalantly held a live frog in his mouth. He loved to hunt for these leggy reptiles. He had a gentle mouth, as well. After I took this picture, I cued him to “Drop it,” and he did. The thing was still in good shape, and left the premises. Bouchard passed away in 2013.
My lovely Dobermann Leissl also left me in 2013. She didn’t chew much of anything that was off limits. She was pretty much a perfect child. But she did like the occasional pine cone as a chew toy. This is one of hers I kept. As she grew weaker from cancer, she had less energy to expend on the finer things in life, like chewing those pine tree nuggets. The day I saw her pick one up and realize she just didn’t have it in her to enjoy was tough for me to witness. I can’t imagine how ill she must have felt to forgo that pleasure.
Things like these that once may have caused me to become upset or sad are beautiful reminders now. Reminders of usual day-to-day experiences I once spent with some of the best dogs on the planet. If we realize that life is fleeting, especially our time with out dogs, then those little things that happen today that may seem annoying, frustrating, or even maddening can be shrunk down to the size they should be, small. Tiny even.
What matters most is the relationship between our dogs and us and enjoying the time we have. And if there is a habit your dog has that’s incompatible with your present circumstances, there is a way to fix that without getting upset at the dog. Don’t let the relationship sour due to misunderstandings about your dog’s behavior. Learn how to co-exist through peaceful, humane, kind training methods that work. Contact me, and I’ll step in with solutions to help you both out.
By Helen Verte
Certified Pet Dog Trainer-KA, Certified Trick Dog Instructor
Building Relationships through Reward-Based Dog Training, Behavior Modification, and Management
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